Bittersweet
by whoreofsteel
Summary: It's not that he was bad with words. He was just bad at saying them. SasuSaku oneshot


If he could describe her eyes with any word, it would be bittersweet. Bitter, if you just glanced, but deep down, beneath that bitterness, held a softness, a sweetness that was familiar and nostalgic. It was the same softness she had held in her eyes for him all those years ago, before - before they had grown, both together and apart. Before the bitter had glazed over and captured her innocence.

If he could describe her lips with any word, it would be - well, it would be pink, much like the rest of her. Peachy pink and soft-looking, twisted into an angry grimace that did nothing to convince him that her smile wasn't the most beautiful thing in the world, with the way the edges of her lips would twist up and spread love across her face.

If he could describe her hair with any word, it would be luscious. Pink without being obnoxious, short and practical. Bangs framed her heart shaped face, her hitai-ate holding back the rest so while she looked beaten and bruised and tired, her hair was still put together and shiny and nice.

If he could describe Sakura with any word, he would struggle and stutter through his vocabulary, grasping at just the right one.

And so he just stared. He bore into her eyes with his own, hoping to chip away the bitter. His keen gaze noticed her tremors - tiny, just light enough that she could hide them but only barely and he vaguely wondered their origin. Fear? Anticipation? Anger? Whatever it was, he wanted nothing more than to step forward and hold her shoulders and force them to stop.

Would she let him? Sasuke wasn't sure. He was never sure about much, only that the sky was blue and she was beautiful. Her small frame was strangely intimidating, from the balled fists to the controlled stance, her booted legs just slightly parted for better balance. She looked ready to strike, but at the same time, not ready at all.

"Sakura."

She flinched.

His eyes narrowed slightly. She looked it, but she was not impenetrable. She was not bulletproof, she was not made of steel. If anything, she was close to crumbling. So close, so close. He opened his mouth to say her name again; a name so natural to his lips and tongue and teeth that he tasted it in his dreams. She visibly swallowed, her barely visible Adam's apple shifting down and up.

He could swear the bitter cracked, just a little bit.

Sasuke took a tentative step forward. _Not too far, don't get too close_, his mind whispered. She was like a wild animal, with strong fight or flight instincts and while she normally fought, he couldn't help but think that this time, she just might flee.

Her tremors, no matter how hard she tried to contain them, grew in frequency. Her fists tightened. Feet pushed deeper into the dirt.

"Sakura."

To his surprise, her eyes shut tightly, entire face crunched up, and she looked away from him, allowing a small gasp of air. When she opened her eyes again, she did not look him in the eyes. He allowed himself to move forward more.

The gap between them had become small; a foot or two, no more. As he neared her, their differences in height became more apparent. She became small, so small, and there was no more intimidating shield to hide behind. Her eyes flickered up to his for just a second, then they settled on his chest - and as a blush stained her cheeks, they flashed to the ground again. Sasuke felt his heart soar. It was tiny, such a tiny thing, but it meant he had a chance. A chance to make things right. He wasn't sure how, but as long as it existed as an opportunity, he could find a way.

He reached his arm out, tentatively grasping at her shoulder. The look on her face turned to pure pain. Agony. And as her eyes left the ground and traveled up to his face, he could see the bitter break.

It crashed down her face to the ground, leaving drops similar to rain at their feet.

Sasuke had never been a fan of sweet things. He thought maybe that was why he had been so resistant to Sakura at first - she was made of sweet things. And yet, as he drew her into his chest, pressed their bodies close, he craved sweetness.

If he could describe her with any word, Uchiha Sasuke would say Haruno Sakura was perfect.

Fragile.

Beautiful.

Strong.

Soft.

Sweet.

_His._

* * *

_Really short, but it's my first in a long time._

_Thank you for reading._


End file.
